More than 100 local volunteers ranging from lawyers and politicians to restaurateurs and thespians got their hands dirty to restore nine elementary school gardens in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach as part of Beach Cities Health District’s inaugural “Beach Cities Volunteer Day.”

Employees from 16 South Bay organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, UCLA Health, the Office of Assemblymember Hadley and Surf City Theater spent a hot August day building garden beds, pulling weeds and building “worm bins” for the school gardens. The gardens are funded by Beach Cities Health District’s “LiveWell Kids” anti-obesity program, which provides K-5 students with nutrition education, physical activity and increased access to fruits and vegetables through school gardens.

Since LiveWell Kids began implementing nutrition- and garden-based education in 2004, the obesity rate in Redondo Beach elementary schools has fallen from 20 percent to 7 percent.

Participating organizations included Always Best Care, BLND Public Relations, City of Hermosa Beach, California Water Service, Fishing with Dynamite, Kaiser Permanente, Keller Williams, Office of Assemblymember David Hadley, Portofino Hotel & Marina, Prosum, South Bay Credit Union, Surf City Theater, UCLA Health, Yoffe & Cooper, 123 Homecare and 24Hr HomeCare.

To learn more about programs and events hosted by the Beach Cities Health District visit their website at www.bchd.org.

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